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Car Tech: Are you for or against GPS and cell phones in cars?
- 5/22/07 5:29 PM
Cell Phones = accidents and deaths
by jaxbarney - 5/31/07 6:47 PM In reply to: Are you for or against GPS and cell phones in cars? by wcunning
I have had to witness two accidents involving cell phone users.
1st one: Mind was on cell phone conversation and rear ended another car causing injury. I am glad I was able to write a report.
2nd one: Trucker pushed a car off the road while talking on cell phone. Same thing here.
Some time ago we pulled up to a four way stop. Four of us approached at diff. times, we approached last. The other three were on cell phone have there usual conversation about where to stop and get bread on the way home. I had to get out of my truck and direct traffic to catch their attention. Cell phones need never be used in cars except in time of emg. WHY ENDANGER someone elses life when that person could have made the call when reaching there destination.
WHY ARE PEOPLE THIS DAMN STUPID???
Drunk Driving
by vbrooks - 5/31/07 6:48 PM In reply to: Are you for or against GPS and cell phones in cars? by wcunning
I'd rather see someone with a beer in their hand than a cell phone. You use more of your brain focusing on conversation. And conversation on the phone is more neuron draining than talking to a person in the vehicle.
I'm For It, I guess?
by highmarcs - 5/31/07 6:57 PM In reply to: Are you for or against GPS and cell phones in cars? by wcunning
It all depends on what you're used to. I can adjust the air, radio, and retrieve my cups from the holders ALL without taking my eyes off the road, or giving any of it any real thought.
The reason I can do this is that these things are all pretty much in the same place in most cars I've driven in. Very simple slide and turn knob controls for the air, etc. are very tactile, and you can adjust them without looking.
However, my mother just bought a Prius and my sister and I just HATE driving that car. The usual simple controls for air and radio have been removed and placed inside of a multiple menu touch screen. You HAVE TO take your eyes of the road and cycle through on screen menus and press this and that, ALL to change the fan speed on the A.C. or turn up the radio volume. It's a nightmare.
I'm certain, Toyota will eventually end up being sued over the safety hazards of this car. Toyota was trying to give it a very space age, neato character in order to justify $30,000.00 for a Corolla sized car. Well it's neat. It just realy unsafe and a huge pain in the ass.
If you are concerned about gadgets distracting people in cars, go rent a Prius for 3 or 4 days. You will see what I mean. Annoying, distracting and dangerous like nothing you've ever driven before. Just wait until the first time you leave the car on in the driveway, thinking it's been turned off. Turning the car on and off is yet another cool "feature" that you have to think about.
For if ???
by Cardinal Fan - 5/31/07 8:03 PM In reply to: Are you for or against GPS and cell phones in cars? by wcunning
If and when cars incorporate them as handsfree into the system, I will then feel much safer. Right now it's not cost effective for all car owners. Hopefully, it will be like all new technology eventually is. Currently though, it's pretty scary that most of the rude or wreckless driving usually involves the driver holding a cell phone. I haven't noticed it with the GPS but that's probably because you can't visually see it in their hands.
for gps and cell pphones
by rajchit - 5/31/07 8:11 PM In reply to: Are you for or against GPS and cell phones in cars? by wcunning
a responsible person would always pull over when consulting a map taking a call. so that should not be a reason to cap technology. a co - driver can assist when driving to unknown areas.
regards,
rajat
GPS and Cell Phones in Cars
by dscott7440 - 5/31/07 8:15 PM In reply to: Are you for or against GPS and cell phones in cars? by wcunning
As a real estate agent, obviously I am mostly DEFINITELY FOR both of these wonderful inventions in cars. I use them both, extensively, and wonder how I ever did my job without them. They are truly two of most wonderful additions to a real estate's working tools since the invention of the MLS. I never leave my office without both of these items.
GPS - Yes, Cell Phone - No
by slemenda - 5/31/07 9:23 PM In reply to: Are you for or against GPS and cell phones in cars? by wcunning
I've been using cell phones since 1992 and an in-car GPS since 2002, and my answer is based on my own perception only.
For me,having a GPS directing me is much less distracting than having to refer to a map or looking for street signs or trying to find a street address in an unfamiliar area. There`s absolutely no question.
However, a cell phone demands that you shift your concentration to the person on the other end. That makes it impossible to keep your attention focused on your driving as long as you`re engaged in the conversation. It`s much worse than just engaging in conversation with someone else in the car.
Simplicity isn't simple so we need to stop pretending it is.
by LaJan7 - 5/31/07 10:29 PM In reply to: Are you for or against GPS and cell phones in cars? by wcunning
Coming up with the "simple solution" like banning cell phones in cars will create a myriad of peripheral actions/problems such as quickly reporting a fatality (or accident with serious injuries requiring immediate attention by professionals), preventing a fatality (such as a suicide jumper on an over crossing), and even saving your own life such as if you're stranded or lost in a desolate location without the ability to survive a sudden snowstorm. Would anyone consider NOT using a cell phone under these circumstances? Better yet, would LAW ENFORCEMENT and other emergency personnel not WANT you to use a cell phone these circumstances? Nope. Daily, we hear about people who called in a problem with a cell phone, took a picture with a cell phone, or just left a cell phone on during an emergency when they couldn't actually talk into it.
I have my personal cell phone and use it for conversations only in the most important of circumstances - not just while driving. But when I use it, I NEED to use it and not having or using it will simply force me to drive on and probably not get off the road to find a (hopefully working!) pay phone - something I do NOT recommend for single women at night in strange neighbourhood, ya know? I even have a second cell phone that is not activated; it doesn't have a phone number in service. But using it for 911 works regardless of any other factors than signal and power. This is an example of how important emergency services consider the usage of cell phones: they don't even give a damn if a carrier gets paid for the airtime.
The article both hit the mark and missed the target. The problem is distracted drivers AND dumb-as-dirt drivers. Anyone can become distracted while driving and it has nothing whatsoever to do with a cell phone. Case in point, I was driving safely in a line of traffic when a doe decided to cross the highway in front of me. Needless to say, I was distracted from driving within my lane and suddenly panic braking, as I've never hit anything alive before. In the end, the panic braking didn't cause a massive pile-up and my anti-lock brakes made my swerve less than effective for avoiding the deer that I think I killed. What could have been done to avoid this distraction from safe driving? Nada.
However, the article also mentioned dumbasses that could actually follow a GPS instead of looking out the freaking windshield to avoid an impassable situation. No amount of distraction will harm people like these; they are already beyond distraction and are living in some inane fantasy world where only one thing at a time exists: their selves. You could ban detours and they'd miss them, ban running over burning tar and they'd miss it, ban stopping and gawking at accidents and they'd stop and gawk anyway. To lump these sorry examples in with drivers who are notifying police of a kid dropping rocks onto windshields from overpasses by using a cell phone is ridiculous.
In the end, every single thing inside and outside of YOURSELF can become a distraction to you and distract you from anything else you are doing. Even if you're the best multi-tasker ever born, triaging varying degrees of attention from situation to situation requires time for the human mind to process - time you may not have available. So there's nothing to be done for prevention of distracted drivers other than removing them from vehicles if they prove too easily distracted. And the only way to do that would be to test them ALL regularly, just like police are tested when using a weapon, to be reasonably sure they could make a good decision as quickly as possible. Pass the test, you're free to drive with the tools available to you such as cell phones, passengers and open Pepsi bottles.
The thing that always makes me smile when driving is seeing someone's mouth moving in another car. Are they singing? Are they talking to themselves? Are they arguing with Rush Limbaugh in a talk show? Are they reciting the speech they are about to give a group of high school grads? Or are they talking on a hands-free device? If I were a cop, how would I choose which talker to pull over to see IF he or she was illegally using a cell phone while driving? If the universe had enough cops to check all of those talkers out there wouldn't be room for talkers driving. Oh, wait. Someone needs to ban all police from having cell phones, OK? Thanks!
Hands free for cell phones and keep the GPS coming.
by tomrdillon - 5/31/07 10:43 PM In reply to: Are you for or against GPS and cell phones in cars? by wcunning
I think hands free is the correct direction but don't even think of taking my GPS away.
Phones in cars
by Ruthann Hanson - 6/1/07 4:26 AM In reply to: Are you for or against GPS and cell phones in cars? by wcunning
I see no problems with phones in cars, as I see it it is the "Nut behind the wheel" that causes accidents. If you do not know that the phone is for emergencegies rather than gossip or doing business while you are driving you are the bad NUT. Gadgets are added to make cars more expensive, only when they reduce the gas consumption, and add to the safety of the passengers are they useful. This is my opinion and I have been driving for nearly 60 years, with only one accident.
Eyes and ears on road...
by pyecheri - 6/1/07 4:36 AM In reply to: Are you for or against GPS and cell phones in cars? by wcunning
More and more accidents and close calls are being caused by idiots who can't seem to be five minutes w/o a phone in their ear, but since these are the same people who bring you tailgating, lane switching, crowding, cutting in, speeding, and just general bad driving, it really isn't a surprise, is it?
Gadgets
by johnhelander - 6/1/07 5:03 AM In reply to: Are you for or against GPS and cell phones in cars? by wcunning
Gps, cellphones, and new devices can make driving safer:but only if control of them is taken out of the hands of the driver. Bad drivers misuse the equipment they have available and will always be unsafe drivers if they choose to. The only way to make some drivers safe on the roads is to take them out of the drivers seat.
Very Much For Both
by uesspo - 6/1/07 5:32 AM In reply to: Are you for or against GPS and cell phones in cars? by wcunning
The only trouble I have with cell phones are people who refuse to use an ear-bud or bluetooth. Other than that, it's no different than carrying on a conversation with someone sitting right next to you except that if a tight situation should happen, that other person doesn't know enough to shut up and let you concentrate in crucial decision-making times. Since we are all condemned to a certain amount of time behind the wheel every day, it is a no-brainer that we need to make the most of that time. Since we haven't invested in modern infrastructure to relieve the traffic and since we are behind the times with bullet trains and mass transit we really have no choice in extending our influence through the use of emerging technologies such as GPS and bluetooth. Get over it, it's here to stay.
No problem
by nyabdns - 6/1/07 6:52 AM In reply to: Are you for or against GPS and cell phones in cars? by wcunning
There is a reasonable solution to all of this. Just open season on dumb drivers. Just like the deer population, they would be controlled and only the smart would survive. During the time we lost 3000 in Iraq, we lost over 50,000 to drunk drivers right here in our own back yard, therefore drunk drivers are much more dangerous than terrorists. The people that are killed due to talking on the cell phone are miniscule compared to those killed due to drunk drivers, so it would seem that we are debating the wrong issue. What is wrong with this picture? It would be like swatting flies when your house is full of rattlesnakes, you are focusing on the wrong thing. Just goes to show that all the idiots are not talking on cell phones while driving, some of them are posting messages on forums.
Problem!
by ralford100 - 6/1/07 7:06 AM In reply to: No problem by nyabdnsIt gets worse! Drunk Drivers ON CELL PHONES!!!
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